Generally, the present invention relates to an improved gelling agent combination useful in preparing cold set milk puddings. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved gelling agent combination comprising an alkali metal pyrophosphate, an alkaline earth metal orthophosphate, an alkali metal carbonate, and a thickening agent.
Cold set milk puddings and their gelling agents are known. Generally, cold set milk pudding compositions comprise a gelling agent, precooked starch, and milk.
Various gelling agent combinations have been used to prepare cold set milk puddings. U.S. Pat. No. 2,607,692 teaches the use of a gelling agent combination comprising a tetraalkali metal pyrophosphate, such as tetrasodium pyrophosphate or tetrapotassium pyrophosphate, and an edible water-soluble calcium salt, for instance calcium acetate, calcium chloride, calcium propionate, calcium saccharate and calcium tartrate for use in preparing cold set milk puddings. However, cold set milk pudding prepared with the gelling agent composition taught in U.S. Pat. No. 2,607,692 are known to exhibit an undesirable final viscosity in that they become rubbery or tough upon standing and therefore must be consumed shortly after preparation.
Another gelling agent combination for preparing cold set milk puddings is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 2,801,924. This gelling agent combination comprises an alkali metal pyrophosphate, as for example, monosodium trihydrogen pyrophosphate, disodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate, trisodium monohydrogen pyrophosphate, and tetrasodium pyrophosphate, and an alkali metal orthophosphate, such as mono-, di-, and trialkali orthophosphates. However, cold set milk puddings prepared with the gelling agent combination taught in U.S. Pat. No. 2,801,924 have been known to exhibit an undesirable initial viscosity in that they initially exhibit a texture which is thin or watery.
It is further known that U.S. Pat. No. 2,927,861 teaches the use of a gelling agent combination comprising a pregelatinized starch, a tetraalkali metal pyrophosphate, and a water-soluble alkaline reacting substance, such as alkali metal carbonates and bicarbonates, in the preparation of cold set milk puddings. However, one major problem associated with cold set milk puddings prepared with the gelling agent combination of U.S. Pat. No. 2,927,861 is the sensitivity of the cold set milk pudding to the particular grade of tetraalkali metal pyrophosphate used in the gelling agent combination. This results in cold set milk puddings exhibiting variable quality depending on the type of pyrophosphate being used.
In contrast, cold set milk puddings having the problems previously mentioned relating to initial and final viscosity, texture, and variable quality are overcome by the novel gelling agent composition of the present invention.